Cinema to DVD, is the gap too small?

Disney are causing a bit of a storm with cinema distributors because they want to release the forthcoming Tim Burton adaptation of Alice in Wonderland on DVD/Blu-ray only 13 weeks (about 3 months) after it hits the cinemas in the UK and Netherlands.

The usual window is between 4 and 6 months depending on the film, and as Alice in Wonderland is expected to be a big hit it will most likely be 6 months which would give the multiplexes more time to make money, so chains like Vue Entertainment Ltd are threatening to pull the film altogether.

Is this window too short? The cinema's argument is that this will reduce the number of bums on seats in theatres as the cinema goes will be aware they can buy the film soon and hence reduce the money taken for a film at the box office, which also could have a knock on effect on cinema ticket prices for all.

10 years ago the window was 6 months or more, and there was a time when the window was even up to a year, although the market back then was more leaned towards the rental market and the internet was not about, hence no digital downloads, and piracy although an issue wasn't by any means as big as it is now.

Why then does the likes of Disney want such a short window? Is it to tackle piracy? Is it to cash in on the hype of a film in such a fickle here today gone tomorrow market? Or is it simply that home cinema can fulfill the movie goers as readily as an expensive visit to the cinema these days?

Just think if Avatar has a 13 week window it would be scheduled for release around 15th March during a time which it will surely be still riding high at the cinema, or maybe that would be the best time to release it?

I can see the argument for and against this, but I must admit that I did prefer it in the days when you were unable to watch a film for a period of months after leaving the cinema and then enjoy it even more when the VHS of the film was available for rent.