A signal processing method and system in a receiving apparatus including a receiving equalizer circuit are provided for extracting transmission data from a received signal inputted via a transmission path every transmission frame having a predetermined synchronization pattern and transmission data. A phase error is detected from the received signal extracted in synchronism with a sampling signal in the receiving equalizer circuit. The frequency of the sampling signal is controlled until the phase error becomes minimum. In parallel, it is detected whether the frame synchronization pattern is present in the received signal in a predetermined interval or not. When the presence of the frame synchronization pattern is not detected after the phase has been stabilized by frequency control of the sampling signal, the sampling phase of the received signal is judged to be in the quasi-convergence state. Then the frequency of the sampling signal is forcibly changed largely. The frequency control of the sampling signal and detection of the frame synchronization pattern are repeated.