A receiver allows controlling a device to be controlled such as a display device based on reference timing acquired from reception data without delay and with low power consumption, and includes: a communication device receiving data incoming intermittently; a first control circuit analyzing the data received by the communication device to identify the presence of a predetermined reference timing signal pattern in the data; and a timer for counting a clock from an initial value, generating a control signal for the device to be controlled according to a resulting count value, and if the count value reaches a predetermined interval value, resuming counting the clock at the initial value. The timer changes the initial value to reduce a count of the clock between the initial value and the interval value if the first control circuit identifies the predetermined reference timing signal pattern to be present.