# Rotate video 90 degrees?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 26, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598 "2005-05-26T14:08:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/1 "2005-05-26T14:08:04Z")

</div>

I have a potentially-embarrasing video question…

My co-worker gave me a segment of video in Quicktime format. When played, it’s on its side, and it needs to be rotated 90 degrees on the screen. This is easy to do for a still picture in Photoshop; how can I do this for a Quicktime movie?

I would prefer not to convert the movie to another format and then back to quicktime, and I would prefer not to buy Quicktime Pro. Can Adobe Premiere do this? What about a freeware or open-source tool?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wasson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@wasson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wasson)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/2 "2005-05-26T14:18:15Z")

</div>

Premiere can do this. Just import the video and throw it into the timeline. When its in your preview window, just grab one of the corners and turn it. Then output it. Done and done.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/3 "2005-05-26T14:30:36Z")

</div>

Well, dang. I’m going to have to try this. We’ll see how it does on the transcoding front…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/4 "2005-05-26T16:45:18Z")

</div>

It may be only in the “Pro” edition of QuickTime (which I have) and it may only be the Mac edition of QuickTime (which I have), but I’m _pretty_ sure that if you look at the movie properties, there’s an option to rotate, flip, inverse, and otherwise do all kinds of things to the video.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/5 "2005-05-26T21:25:04Z")

</div>

The “Pro” version of Quicktime simply allows the Quicktime player to expose those property controls. If you have a third-party video utility that uses Quicktime, you could make the same changes to the movie without paying for the “Pro” key.

And IIRC, the Mac and Windows versions of the Quicktime Player work the same way.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/6 "2005-05-26T21:32:55Z")

</div>

I’ve been doing a lot of video work lately and I’m sure this can be done without spending any money. I’ll report back in just a tick…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/7 "2005-05-26T21:45:57Z")

</div>

Ah… not sure if it can be done for free without transcoding, which I understand you want to avoid (missed that on the first read)…

My advice (anyway) would be to try (and see if you’re happy with the quality) using something like [Rad Video Tools](http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=Rad_Video_Tools) to convert Mov\>AVI, then a [VirtualDub](http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=VirtualdubMOD) filter to rotate it, but I don’t know of a freeware utility to convert AVI back to MOV, but my choice would be recompressing as MPG, which I think is more universally playable anyway (many people dislike installing quicktime because the software to play it can be intrusive).

On reflection, maybe that wasn’t too helpful, in all. I’ll get me coat.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![6\_6\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e0b2c6/32.png) [@6\_6\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6_6_6)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/8 "2005-05-26T21:47:48Z")

</div>

> [@rjung](#):
>
> And IIRC, the Mac and Windows versions of the Quicktime Player work the same way.

I can confirm that the Windows version of QT Pro permits rotation. Now all I have to do is figure out a use for it. 😕

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/9 "2005-05-26T21:58:25Z")

</div>

> [@6 6 6](#):
>
> I can confirm that the Windows version of QT Pro permits rotation. Now all I have to do is figure out a use for it. 😕

Well, uh, refer back to the OP…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/10 "2005-05-26T23:18:45Z")

</div>

If you have a vaguely modern ATI or nVidia card and are willing to download the latest drivers, you could just rotate the entire monitor 90 degrees to wach the movie and then rotate back.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rotate-video-90-degrees/305598/11 "2005-05-26T23:22:26Z")

</div>

Or rotate the _physical monitor_, or watch it lying down!

OK, I’ll go now.
