Wonky videos can be a pain in the neck---literally! Videos recorded in landscape mode often await as though they've been made with the phone in portrait style. The result is a video that needs rotating before information technology tin be viewed.

While some mobile apps can't rotate videos, what if the video has already been synced to your PC? Alternatively, it might have been shared with you without the sender realizing it was wonky.

Then, how can you rotate a video in Windows Media Player?

First introduced in Windows 3.0, Windows Media Thespian has been a fixture of Microsoft'south desktop operating arrangement for 30 years. It's still available---you'll discover it in Windows x by tapping Start and searching for "windows media". Otherwise, y'all tin download Windows Media Actor 12.

Windows Media Player 12 has support for H.264 and MPEG-4 Part 2 video formats, MP4 and MOV container formats, AVCHD, and several others.

So, at that place'south a skillful risk that yous're using Windows Media Player to view your videos. But what happens when the video has been recorded in the wrong orientation?

Sadly, Windows Media Histrion does not support video rotation. In fairness, this should not come every bit much of a surprise. Other tools take been released over the years that offer a far superior media histrion experience.

Windows Media Player is adept for playback of video files, including Hard disk drive/Blu-ray standard. Withal, rotation and advanced filters are not options with this tool.

Every bit a effect, you will have to use a third-party tool to flip your video.

If you want to go along using Windows Media Player, you lot'll need another app to handle things similar fixing and rotating videos.

Three cardinal options are available for rotating a video for playback in Windows Media Player:

  • Costless Video Flip and Rotate from DVDVideoSoft
  • RotateMyVideo at rotatemyvideo.cyberspace
  • VLC media thespian from Videolan

Each solution rotates your video with the minimum of fuss, saving information technology in a format Windows Media Actor tin play.

(Windows Movie Maker tin also rotate videos, just as this is no longer supported, it is not recommended.)

Costless Video Flip and Rotate

The first way to rotate a video for Windows Media Thespian playback is with Free Video Flip and Rotate.

Showtime by downloading Free Video Flip and Rotate from DVD Videosoft. This is a free Windows video rotation tool, compatible with Windows XP Service Pack iii and afterwards. It is peculiarly suited to Windows ten.

    1. Install and click Add file (or drag your video file into the app window).
    2. With the video selected, bank check the previews in the main app window. On the left is the default view of the video in its current state. On the right, you'll encounter a preview of how the video looks once rotated.
Free Video Flip and Rotate interface
Rotate videos in Windows
  1. Below the video, you volition find a row of arrows. The first three are for rotation (the others are for flipping video clips). Click 1 of the arrows to rotate the video.
  2. Select the correct conversion format in the drop-downward in the bottom left corner. For Windows Media Player, use MP4. When you're prepare, click Save. The finished video will be set up to the desired orientation.

How to Rotate a Video Online With RotateMyVideo

If you don't desire to install another tool, simply want to stick with Windows Media Histrion (despite it being no practiced for rotating videos) why not employ an online utility?

RotateMyVideo rotates and flips your videos, letting you download the results to your PC. You might besides share it on Facebook or YouTube or download it to your telephone.

Windows users should visit the site and click the Option Video button. Select the video you wish to rotate, then wait as it is uploaded to the site. Then follow the simple steps below.

Rotate your video in Windows
  1. Use the Rotation arrows to rotate the video left or right, in 90-caste steps.
  2. Change the ratio if necessary and when done click Rotate Video.
  3. Once done, click Download to save the rotated video to Windows. Yous can then view information technology in Windows Media Player.

To rotate a video with VLC media player, outset past visiting world wide web.videolan.org and downloading the app.

  1. Open up the video via Media > Open File.
  2. To rotate the video, use Tools > Effects and Filters and then Video Effects > Geometry.
  3. Look for Transform, cheque the box, and set the drop-downwardly box to rotate as required. You lot can rotate videos by 90, 180, or 270 degrees.
  4. Click Save, then Close to terminate, and Play to view the stock-still video.
Rotate a video for playback in Windows

Unfortunately, this is isn't temporary; it will as well rotate all subsequent videos played in VLC media player. As such, remember to disable rotation past immigration the Transform checkbox.

To save the rotation and view the rotated video in a different app such as Windows Media Actor, use the Convert/Save tool.

    1. First, complete the steps above, then open up Media > Convert/Save and click Add.
    2. Notice the file you wish to rotate, then Convert/Save.
    3. In the subsequent screen, find the conversion Profile and click Settings (spanner icon).
    4. In Contour Edition, click Video Codec > Filters and check the Video transformation filter.
Rotate videos in Windows with VLC
  1. Click Salve, and so Start to begin the conversion.

VLC media role player will display a bar to denote progress. Once this has completed, click Play to relish the rotated video.

With the file saved, view the rotated video in Windows Media Player or whatsoever other player of your choice.

Don't Get a Crick in Your Neck---Rotate Your Videos in Windows!

Incorrectly oriented videos are a massive inconvenience. Rather than rotate your screen, or living with a bad neck, the best solution is to use software. We've offered three suggestions to rotate your videos for subsequent viewing in Windows Media Player.

Free Video Flip and Rotate is a useful downloadable utility, while RotateMyVideo is a handy web app. Both effortlessly rotate videos recorded at the wrong orientation.

Finally, VLC media player can too rotate videos in Windows (and other operating systems). However, information technology is also an accomplished media player, and tin can effortlessly replace Windows Media Thespian.

VLC media player is jam-packed with useful tricks. Check our guide to some of the top free VLC media player features.

Plus, for more manipulation tips, here's how to rotate an image in Photoshop.