Rotating Video with Keyboard Shortcuts in MPV: A Step-by-Step Guide

Rotating a video in MPV using keyboard shortcuts is a handy feature that allows users to quickly adjust the orientation of their videos without interrupting playback. This is especially useful for correcting videos that were recorded in the wrong orientation or for viewing content in a preferred angle. By simply pressing a key combination, users can rotate the video by 90, 180, or 270 degrees, enhancing their viewing experience and saving time.

Setting Up Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Locate or Create input.conf:

   • Navigate to the MPV configuration directory, typically found at ~/.config/mpv/.
   • If input.conf does not exist, create it.

2. Open input.conf:

   • Use a text editor to open the input.conf file. For example, you can use nano:

     nano ~/.config/mpv/input.conf
     

3. Add Key Bindings for Rotation:

   • Specify the desired key bindings for rotating the video. For example, to rotate the video by 90 degrees using the R key, add the following line:

     R cycle-values video-rotate 0 90 180 270
     

4. Save and Close:

   • Save the changes and close the text editor. In nano, you can do this by pressing Ctrl+X, then Y, and Enter.

5. Restart MPV:

   • Restart MPV to apply the new key bindings.

Now, pressing R while playing a video in MPV will cycle through the rotation angles (0°, 90°, 180°, 270°).

Rotating Video Clockwise

To rotate a video clockwise in mpv, add the following line to your input.conf file:

Alt+RIGHT script-message Cycle_Video_Rotate "clockwise"

This binds the Alt+RIGHT key combination to rotate the video clockwise.

Rotating Video Counterclockwise

To rotate a video counterclockwise in MPV using a keyboard shortcut, follow these steps:

1. Open or create the input.conf file in the MPV configuration directory (usually ~/.config/mpv/).

2. Add the following line to bind the rotation command to a key (e.g., Alt+LEFT):

   Alt+LEFT script-message Cycle_Video_Rotate "counter-clockwise"
   

This will rotate the video by 90 degrees counterclockwise each time you press Alt+LEFT.

Testing and Troubleshooting

Testing Keyboard Shortcuts for Rotating Video in MPV

1. Open MPV: Launch MPV and load your video.
2. Rotate Video:
   • Clockwise: Press Shift + r.
   • Counterclockwise: Press Shift + R.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

1. Shortcuts Not Working:

   • Check Configuration: Ensure input.conf file in ~/.config/mpv/ has the correct bindings.
   • Update MPV: Make sure you are using the latest version of MPV.

2. Video Not Rotating:

   • File Permissions: Verify that MPV has the necessary permissions to access and modify the video file.
   • Codec Issues: Ensure the video codec is supported by MPV.

3. Other Issues:

   • Logs: Check MPV logs for error messages.
   • Community Support: Visit MPV forums or GitHub for additional help.

To Rotate a Video by Keyboard Shortcut in MPV

Locate or create the input.conf file in the MPV configuration directory, typically found at ~/.config/mpv/.

Open the input.conf file and add key bindings for rotation, such as:

R cycle-values video-rotate 0 90 180 270

This will rotate the video by 90 degrees using the R key.

Save and close the file, then restart MPV to apply the new key bindings.

Rotating Clockwise or Counterclockwise

To rotate a video clockwise or counterclockwise, add specific lines to the input.conf file:

Alt+RIGHT script-message Cycle_Video_Rotate "clockwise"

This will rotate the video clockwise.

Alt+LEFT script-message Cycle_Video_Rotate "counter-clockwise"

This will rotate the video counterclockwise.

Testing Keyboard Shortcuts

To test keyboard shortcuts, open MPV and load a video. Then press:

• Shift + r to rotate the video clockwise
• Shift + R to rotate it counterclockwise

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter issues with keyboard shortcuts, try:

• Checking the configuration file
• Updating MPV
• Verifying file permissions
• Ensuring codec support