How to Rotate a Video in VLC Media Player [Windows & Mac]

Rotate videos in VLC media player with this step-by-step guide.

VLC is a multi-media player capable of working on multiple operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. This freely downloadable tool can play nearly all types of audio or video files and record live videos. It is gaining high popularity among people because it doesn’t require additional add-ons to function properly.

VLC holds many other advantages apart from just allowing you to view and listen to media. You can also rotate any type of disoriented media file easily by using its built-in rotate feature. Correcting the aspect ratio of video files not only makes your viewing experience enjoyable but also improves video quality. This article will help you learn how you can rotate a video in VLC on Windows and Mac.

How to Rotate and Save Video in VLC Windows

As discussed above, VLC for Windows requires no additional video editor to rotate media files because it has its own rotate feature. You can easily correct the orientation of your video at home. However, before proceeding, you should keep in mind that you have to crop the video after completing the rotation process to ensure the best aspect ratio of a video file.

Rotate a Video in VLC on Windows

In the following, we have provided the easy steps which are required to rotate videos in VLC:

Step 1: Open Video File in VLC

Launch VLC on your system and go to the “Media” drop-down menu present at the top left corner. Press the “Open File” option and select the video you want to rotate. After selecting, hit the “Open” button to successfully open the file.

Open video file in VLC

Step 2: Initiate the Rotate Process

Now click the “Tools” menu and select the “Effects and Filters” option by clicking on it. A new menu will pop up; go to the “Video Effects” tab and then click on the “Geometry”‘ option.

access VLC Geometry tab

Step 3: Select the Correct Orientation

Afterward, mark the “Transform” checkbox and then use the drop-down box to rotate the video to the correct orientation. Once the video gets corrected, press the “Save” button.

enable the transform option

Step 4: Crop to Perfectly Fit the Video on the Screen

Go to the “Video” menu and select the “Crop” option. A drop-down menu will appear; choose the desired crop ratio to crop your video. Now, select the “Play” button to view your video.

Crop the video in VLC

Hope the steps mentioned above prove to be helpful in rotating a video in VLC. Now if you want to bring the video back to its default settings, use the following step:

If you want to reset the default settings of VLC, press the “Tools” menu and select the “Preferences” option. A “Simple Preferences” window will appear; press the “Reset Preferences” button present at the bottom and the “OK” button to restore the VLC’s default settings.

Reset VLC preferences

Convert and Save the Rotated Video

Do you want to change the video format of your file? Don’t indulge in the hassle of using an online converter tool because there is a high chance that some suspicious malware may enter your device. It is better to try the following steps to convert and save the rotated video in VLC:

Step 1: Add the Rotated Video

Go to the “Media” menu bar and select the “Convert/Save” option. The “Open Media” window will appear on your VLC window, hit the “Add” button and import the rotated video file.

add the converted video in VLC

Step 2: Select the File Format of the Video

Afterward, access the “Convert/Save” drop-down menu and select the “Convert” option. Tap on the “Profile” option and select the preferred video format.

Select VLC video profile

Step 3: Save the Converted Video File

Now, tap the “Browse” button to select the file destination. After browsing the destination, hit the “Save” button. To complete the conversion process, click the “Start” button present at the bottom to convert the rotated video.

How to Rotate a Video in VLC on Mac

To rotate a video in VLC on Mac is not a difficult task because it is pretty similar to that mentioned above for Windows. The instructions for rotating the video permanently in VLC on Mac are mentioned below:

Step 1: Launch Your Video File

Access the “File” tab from the application toolbar and choose the “Open File” option. Select the video file that you want to rotate and tap on the “Open” button.

Open file in VLC mac

Step 2: Access the Geometry Feature

Following this, tap on the “Window” tab and select the “Video Effects” option from the drop-down menu. Next, access the “Geometry” section from the “Video Effects” window.

Choose Video Effects option

Step 3: Change the Rotation of the Video

You will have to enable the option of “Transform” to initiate the rotation process. After this, tap on the “Transform” menu and select the type of rotation that you want to perform.

Select rotation degree

However, you should know that the changes you made in video orientation while watching the video on Mac will not be permanently saved. You have to use an alternate video editor that can permanently save a rotation filter to your video file.

VLC Video Rotation FAQs

If you still have any questions roaming in your mind about VLC video rotation, check the following most frequently asked questions and their answers:

How do I rotate a video 90 degrees in VLC?

Open the video file on VLC and go to the “Tools” menu. Next, choose the “Effects and Filters” option and proceed with the “Video Effects” tab. Select the “Geometry”‘ option and then choose the “Rotate by 90 degrees” option from the drop-down menu of “Transform.” After selecting, press the “Save” and “Close” buttons to save changes. This way, you can rotate a video in VLC to 90 degrees.

How to fix the video not rotating in VLC?

Launch the video on VLC and then hit the “Tools” menu bar. Select the “Preferences” option and access the “Input/Codecs” settings. Hit the drop-down menu of ” Hardware-accelerated decoding” and choose the “Disable” option. After saving the process, you will fix the video that is not rotating in VLC.

What’s the shortcut to rotate a video in VLC?

Although VLC offers many amazing and unique features that are absent in other open-source multi-media players, unfortunately, there is no shortcut to rotate videos in VLC.

Conclusion

VLC is in use by many people around the globe because it is a free software and incorporates many unique features. You can rotate, crop, and convert any media file on this tool without buying add-ons. Hopefully, in this article, you found a useful answer on how to rotate videos in VLC on Windows and Mac.

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Muhammad Irshad

Muhammad Irshad is a student of Computer Science. He is a passionate blogger and the former owner of TechShur. You can connect with him on Facebook and Google+.

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