How to rotate videos in VLC media player
Summary
Learn how to rotate videos in VLC media player with both a temporary rotation for playback and a permanent rotation by converting the file. Step-by-step instructions.
Introduction #
VLC Media Player supports a wide range of multimedia file formats and includes built-in tools for video manipulation, including rotation. If you have recorded a video that appears sideways or upside down, VLC offers both temporary and permanent solutions** to correct the orientation.
This article explains how to rotate videos temporarily during playback and how to permanently rotate and save them using VLC.
Temporary video rotation during playback #
If you only want to view a video in a corrected orientation without altering the original file, use the temporary rotation option in VLC.
- Open VLC Media Player.
- Open your video by clicking on
Media>Open File. - Go to the top menu and click
Tools>Effects and Filters. - In the
Adjustments and Effectswindow, switch to theVideo Effectstab. - Click on the
Geometrysub-tab. - Check the box labeled
Transform. - From the dropdown menu, select the desired rotation angle (e.g. Rotate by 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees, flip horizontally, flip vertically, etc.).
You can also set a more fine-grained rotation angle in the Rotate section. - Click
Closeto apply the rotation.
This rotation only affects playback. The video file itself remains unchanged.
The set rotation angle affects the current VLC session for all files. If VLC is set to persist settings beyond the session, rotation will remain active until it is turned off again.
Permanent video rotation and saving #
To rotate and save the video file with the new orientation, follow these steps:
Enable video transformation filter #
- Open VLC Media Player.
- Click on
Tools>Preferences. - At the bottom left, change
Show settingstoAll. - In the left sidebar, expand
Stream output, thenSout stream, then selectTranscode. - Check the box for
Video transformation filter.
Set the rotation angle #
- Go to the top menu and click
Tools>Effects and Filters. - In the
Adjustments and Effectswindow, switch to theVideo Effectstab. - Click on the
Geometrysub-tab. - Check the box labeled
Transform. - From the dropdown menu, select the desired rotation angle (e.g. Rotate by 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees, flip horizontally, flip vertically, etc.).
You can also set a more fine-grained rotation angle in the Rotate section.
Convert file #
- Return to the main window and click
Media>Convert / Save. - Click
Addto select your video file, then clickConvert / Save. - In the
Convertwindow, choose a profile such asVideo - H.264 + MP3 (MP4). - Click the wrench icon next to the profile.
- Go to the
Video codectab, then theFilterstab. - Check
Video transformation filterand clickSave. - In the
Convertwindow, specify a destination file name and clickStart.
Make sure the playback toogle between loop all, loop one, and no loop is set to no loop, to avoid an annoying output file already exists loop.
The video will now be converted and saved with the applied rotation. The output file is a new version with corrected orientation.
FAQ's #
Most common questions and brief, easy-to-understand answers on the topic:
Can VLC rotate videos without changing the original file?
Yes, VLC can rotate videos temporarily during playback without altering the original file using the transform filter.
Does rotating a video permanently in VLC reduce quality?
If you choose high-quality output settings during conversion, there is minimal to no visible quality loss in the permanent rotation process.
Can I rotate videos on macOS using VLC?
Yes, the rotation process in VLC is the same on macOS and Windows. The interface may look slightly different, but the options are in the same locations.
Why is my rotated video not saving after using VLC?
Temporary rotation does not alter the file. To save changes, you must use the convert/save function with rotation filters applied.
What video formats can VLC rotate and convert?
VLC supports most common formats including MP4, AVI, MKV, and MOV for both rotation and conversion.
Further readings #
Sources and recommended, further resources on the topic:
Author
Jonas Jared Jacek (J15k)
Jonas works as project manager, web designer, and web developer since 2001. On top of that, he is a Linux system administrator with a broad interest in things related to programming, architecture, and design. See: https://www.j15k.com/License
How to rotate videos in VLC media player by Jonas Jared Jacek is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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