How to Rotate Videos in Windows Media Player

Use VLC media player to fix your video's orientation

by
Scott Orgera
Scott Orgera
Writer
Scott Orgera is a former writer who covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications.
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Scott Orgera
Updated on February 22, 2021
reviewed by
Kayla Dube headshot
Kayla Dube
Lifewire Tech Review Board Member
Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies.
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Article reviewed on May 13, 2020
Kayla Dube

What to Know

  • In VLC, select Media > Open File and browse to the video file you want to rotate.
  • Select Tools > Effects and Filters > Adjustments and Effects > Video Effects > Geometry > Transform.
  • Choose the rotation you want, Save, and Close.

This article explains how to rotate a video in Windows Media Player using a third-party media player tool called VLC, which is available for most operating systems.

How to rotate video in Windows Media Player
Nico De Pasquale Photography / Getty Images

How to Rotate a Video With VLC

Windows Media Player doesn't offer a built-in way to rotate videos, so you need a separate tool to do the job. VLC media player is a frequently updated program by an active open-source developer community. Download and install VLC for Windows from the VideoLAN website.

To rotate videos using VLC:

  1. Open the VLC application, select Media > Open File, then choose the video you want to rotate.

    The Open File command

  2. Select Tools > Effects and Filters.

    Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+E to open the Adjustments and Effects window.

    The Effects and Filters item under Tools

  3. In the Adjustments and Effects window, go to the Video Effects tab and select the Geometry tab.

    The Visual Effects and Geometry tabs in Adjustments and Effects

  4. Select the Transform check box, then select the drop-down menu underneath and choose the option you want. The video automatically rotates as you make a selection.

    The Transform box and options

  5. When you're satisfied with the rotation, select Save, then select Close to return to the main VLC interface.

    The Save button

How to Save Your Rotated Video in VLC

To save the rotated video in the appropriate format:

  1. Select Tools > Preferences.

    Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+P to open the Advanced Preferences window.

    The Preferences command under the Tools menu

  2. Go to the lower-left corner of the Advanced Preferences window and select All.

    The All option in Preferences

  3. Scroll down the left menu pane to the Stream output section, expand the Sout stream entry, then select Transcode.

    The Sout Stream and Transcode sections

  4. On the right side of the window, select the Rotate video filter check box, then select Save.

    The Rotate Video Filter option and Save button

  5. Select Media > Convert/Save.

    Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+R to open the Open Media window.

    The Convert/Save command

  6. In the Open Media window, select Add, choose the file you rotated, then select Convert/Save.

    The Add and Convert/Save buttons

  7. In the Convert window, go to the Destination section, select Browse, then choose an existing file to overwrite or enter a new file name.

    The Browse button

  8. Select Start to begin the conversion process and save the video file.

    The Start button

Using an Online Video Rotator

If you don't want to download and install an application to rotate videos, several online, ad-supported options are available, including:

Most of these cloud-based solutions have limitations, however, including the inability to rotate lengthy videos.

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