Есть два варианта: -
1) Использование MPMoviePlayerController.
MPMoviePlayerController *moviePlayer = [[MPMoviePlayerController alloc]
initWithContentURL:videoURL];
moviePlayer.shouldAutoplay = NO;
UIImage *thumbnail = [moviePlayer thumbnailImageAtTime:time
timeOption:MPMovieTimeOptionNearestKeyFrame];
2) Использование AVURLAsset
AVURLAsset *asset=[[AVURLAsset alloc] initWithURL:self.url options:nil];
AVAssetImageGenerator *generator = [[AVAssetImageGenerator alloc] initWithAsset:asset];
generator.appliesPreferredTrackTransform=TRUE;
[asset release];
CMTime thumbTime = CMTimeMakeWithSeconds(0,30);
AVAssetImageGeneratorCompletionHandler handler = ^(CMTime requestedTime, CGImageRef im, CMTime actualTime, AVAssetImageGeneratorResult result, NSError *error){
if (result != AVAssetImageGeneratorSucceeded) {
NSLog(@"couldn't generate thumbnail, error:%@", error);
}
[button setImage:[UIImage imageWithCGImage:im] forState:UIControlStateNormal];
thumbImg=[[UIImage imageWithCGImage:im] retain];
[generator release];
};
CGSize maxSize = CGSizeMake(320, 180);
generator.maximumSize = maxSize;
[generator generateCGImagesAsynchronouslyForTimes:[NSArray arrayWithObject:[NSValue valueWithCMTime:thumbTime]] completionHandler:handler];