How does my DVD recorder know the time and date ?

Factual Questions
1

I just bought a cheap Ilo dvd recorder from wal-mart in USA. While still in the states I plugged it in to check it out, and the time and date were already set. Now that I am back in the Phillipines, which is 13 hours ahead of where I was in the states, it has set itself to the local time and date. How does it automatically know the time and date ? Nothing about this is mentioned in the owners manual.

Thanks !

2

The technical term for this circuit is the PFM circuit. All new electronic items have one.
PFM stands for Pure Freaking Magic curcuit.

3

In most places in the US, whichever channel is your PBS outlet has time information embedded in their broadcast signal. When you plug the cable into the back of the VCR or other DVR device, it can sense this information from whichever channel is hosting it, and it automatically sets your clock. It takes into consideration your time zone and whether it’s Standard or Daylight Savings time. It looks like it works elsewhere, too!