A system and method for synchronizing a local clock to a reference clock using a linear model of the clock error between the local clock and the reference clock is disclosed. In one embodiment, a double-exponential smoothing process is used in conjunction with the linear model to estimate a frequency offset by which the frequency of an oscillator of the local clock is adjusted. Also disclosed herein is a phased-lock loop (PLL) adapted to synchronize a local clock with a reference clock using the double-exponential smoothing process, as well as a system implementing the PLL for timing the playout of data received from a transmitter.