A method for providing timing recovery from a received digital data stream where the digital data stream is a series of consecutive data samples. The method separates the data stream into a series of consecutive observation periods where each observation period includes the same number of consecutive data samples. The method also includes identifying a series of consecutive timing recovery data samples in each observation period where the timing recovery data samples are used for timing recovery and other data samples in the observation period are not used for timing recovery, and where the number of data samples used for timing recovery in each observation period is less than the number of data samples that are not used for timing recovery in the observation period. The method then uses the timing recovery data samples for timing recovery in each observation period.