[Kevin Blackham]

I also have this problem and can provide more detailed information. Here’s output from ‘ffprobe -show_format -show_streams’ on a file shot by an iPhone user with Vertical Video Syndrome (see youtu.be/Bt9zSfinwFA for definition):

[STREAM]
index=0
codec_name=h264
codec_long_name=H.264 / AVC / MPEG-4 AVC / MPEG-4 part 10
codec_type=video
codec_time_base=1/1200
codec_tag_string=avc1
codec_tag=0x31637661
width=1280
height=720
has_b_frames=0
pix_fmt=yuv420p
r_frame_rate=30000/1001
avg_frame_rate=82200/2743
time_base=1/600
start_time=0.000000
duration=9.143333
nb_frames=274
TAG:creation_time=2012-10-06 16:54:13
TAG:language=und
[/STREAM]
[STREAM]
index=1
codec_name=aac
codec_long_name=Advanced Audio Coding
codec_type=audio
codec_time_base=0/1
codec_tag_string=mp4a
codec_tag=0x6134706d
sample_rate=44100.000000
channels=1
bits_per_sample=0
r_frame_rate=0/0
avg_frame_rate=11025/256
time_base=1/44100
start_time=0.000000
duration=9.171882
nb_frames=395
TAG:creation_time=2012-10-06 16:54:13
TAG:language=und
[/STREAM]
[FORMAT]
filename=*redacted*
nb_streams=2
format_name=mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2
format_long_name=QuickTime/MPEG-4/Motion JPEG 2000 format
start_time=0.000000
duration=9.171882
size=12316885.000000
bit_rate=10743169.000000
TAG:major_brand=qt
TAG:minor_version=0
TAG:compatible_brands=qt
TAG:creation_time=2012-10-06 16:54:13
TAG:encoder=5.1.1
TAG:encoder-eng=5.1.1
TAG:date=2012-10-06T09:54:13-0700
TAG:date-eng=2012-10-06T09:54:13-0700
[/FORMAT]

File metadata shows it’s 1280×720(4:3), not 720×1280(3:4) ratio. Either Apple really recorded it “sideways”, or ffmpeg is lying to me (e.g. someone put in an assumption that width is always > height). Any other tools recommended (not based on libav) which I could use to confirm?

Staring at this, I see no other markers in the metadata that indicate orientation, but my eyes are tired.