Currently there are a large number of devices capable of recording videos, with the possibility of recording with different dimensions and orientations. One of the most common devices is mobile phones, capable of making high-quality recordings both horizontally and vertically. So that it is always well oriented it is necessary that we have activated the automatic rotation of the screen. If not, we will find that when viewing it on our PC it is rotated and the rotation is not correct. We can solve this case by rotating a video with VLC .
VLC is, possibly, the best multimedia player with which to be able to perform all kinds of tasks such as watching movies and series, listening to music, converting between formats, watching streaming content … and also making small modifications to the videos, such as rotating them in case of as necessary. That is why it has become a very popular application on its own merits, mainly because it allows us to open any file format without depending on any codec.
Download and install VLC for free
If we want to rotate a video in a simple way, the first thing we will have is to have VLC downloaded and installed, otherwise we already have it. We can download it directly from your website . In it we will see all the platforms for which the program is compatible, which are not few, including desktop computers, as well as mobile devices. Of course, it is a completely free player that accepts donations for development and improvement. Its latest version currently available is 3.0.11.1 , published on July 29, 2020, so it is a software that has a good support and updates policy from its developers.
So you can rotate videos with VLC
Once we have downloaded and installed VLC on our computer, we must execute it so that its main menu appears with an intuitive interface completely in Spanish, which will help us to move comfortably through all its options. At the top we find the classic task bar, ordered by tabs.
The first step is to add the video that we want to rotate. This is something that we can do by just dragging and dropping the video on its interface or using the toolbar. To do this, click on the “Media” tab and then “Open file”. Now we just have to navigate through the folders, select the video and click on “Open”.
Once we have loaded the video in VLC, we will go back to the tabs on the top bar and select the “Tools” option. A drop-down menu will open where we must click on the “Effects and Filters” option. In the next window, we select the “Video Effects” tab, and then the “Geometry” tab.
Among the options that we find within the “Geometry” tab is the “Transform” section, which we must select. Once marked, we can choose the number of degrees we want to rotate the video to be able to put it straight. The most common and which will surely be the one we use, is Rotate by 90 degrees, but we can also “Rotate 180 degrees”, “Rotate 270 degrees”, “Flip horizontally”, “Flip vertically”, “Transpose and Anti-transpose “. In the same way, we can also rotate a certain number of degrees, but not a straight value like the previous ones, we can use the “Rotate” wheel , although, in general, it should not be necessary.
Once the effect is applied to our video, it will automatically play in the correct direction on our computer.
How to save a rotated video
This rotation effect that we have applied to the video with VLC, will always remain applied. In this way, every time we open the video, the player will take care of applying the rotation effect. But we must be careful, since the effect is marked for all the videos that we open , so we must remember to uncheck the box, so that the playback returns to normal when we go to view other videos that we do not want to be rotated.
Therefore, in case we are satisfied with the video once it has been rotated, we will probably want to reproduce it on other devices, so for this we must save it so that all changes are applied correctly . For this, it will be necessary to apply the rotation filter to the video processing task, something that we can do with a few simple steps.
The first thing we must do to record the video that we have rotated is to go to the upper bar of VLC to click on the “Tools” tab. Within the options that are displayed we choose the “Preferences”. A new window will open, with several icons at the top, so we must click on the “Video” icon.
Now at the bottom we see the option “Show settings”, and we must click on “All”, so that its advanced configuration appears. We will see how the menu becomes part of a tree branch. Next, within the “Video” option, we click on the “Filters” option. Finally, on the right side we will activate the “Video transformation filter” box. In this way, when we process a video to save it, take into account the effect that we have modified. Once this is done, click on “Save”.
Next, from the main VLC window, we will click again on the “Media” tab. Later, we will choose the “Convert” option, in order to open the wizard with which to process and convert the videos with VLC . Once we have clicked on “Convert” a new window will appear where we must add the video that we want to convert, and then we will click on the “Convert / Save” button.
Once we have clicked on the “Convert / Save” button, the different conversion options will appear. From the “preferences” section, we see the “Profile” option that we will use to choose the format to which we want to convert the video . Now that we have the format to which we are going to convert the video, we must click on the icon in the shape of a wrench . A new window appears again in which we will move to the “Video codec” section and click on the “Filters” tab. Here, we will scroll to the bottom of the list and make sure to mark the video transformation filter (“Video transformation filter”) and click on “Save”.
We return again to the previous window where we must choose the destination where the video that we are going to convert will be saved . For this, we visualize the Destination File option and click on Explore to choose the place.
Once this is done, click on “Start” to begin the process. Once finished, we will have the saved video rotated correctly. We only have to deactivate the transformation effect that we have activated previously, to prevent all the videos that we open from doing so rotated.