Is auto tracking useful around a house vs fixed cams
In theory, auto-tracking is fine to capture objects moving in a fairly small defined space. (I say in theory because the actual functionality/reliability of the auto-tracking feature is highly dependent on the camera model/hardware - not all auto-tracking is good). However it is not effective in providing 360 degree coverage because the camera can only be pointed at one place/subject at a time. Even with "helper" cameras which can move the PTZ to a preset when the helper camera is triggered, if you end up with more than one subject/object you want to track in whatever area your PTZ camera is covering, you are going to miss subjects. The larger the area a camera is expected to cover, the greater the chance you will miss subjects because the camera can't cover two things at the same time. For example, it is fine to have a PTZ camera which starts out in a overview mode of your driveway and then will zoom in and track any moving object in the driveway, but it you expect that same camera to also cover your front walk, vehicles driving on the road in front of your house, and the side yard - it won't be effective because it can't cover all those areas at the same time. However if you already have fixed cameras providing coverage for all those areas, then maybe a single PTZ camera could cover all those areas and provide extra footage that might be useful.
Personally I think having mostly fixed cameras is better if you pick your cameras carefully with the appropriate field of view for the situation. Once you get everything covered that you want, you might add a PTZ camera to get some tracking shots, but I would never rely on the PTZ as my primary cameras - especially since the tracking isn't perfect all the time.
The other thing you have to consider is the size of the cameras. PTZ cameras tend to be MUCH larger than a fixed camera - usually 3-5 times the size. Everyone is going to notice when you stick a PTZ camera up on your house and having even just one PTZ camera is more noticeable than having multiple fixed cameras around the front of your house. Add more than one PTZ and suddenly your house looks more like a CIA safehouse than a normal home. If you live in a high crime area, that may be the look you want. But if you are in a quiet neighborhood with little to no crime, everyone will be talking about your house.
