Get the Series 1, its great you wont regret it. I have also have the Series 1 and I'm very happy with it. All my series get recorded without having to scedule it, it has something called a "Season Pass", which will automatically record all episodes of a series, by simply adding the series to your list of season passes. Example: If I set Grey's Anatomy as a season pass, tivo will automatically record all episodes, even if I set it on the first season it will continue when a new season airs. Thats just one of the many great features on a Tivo.
It's much better than the multichoice PVR. It can be used with your DSTV decoder, it has an IR receiver that automatically changes the channel on the decoder when it has to record a program. You can also pause, rewind, slow motion live TV.
IF your tivo has a network card (optional) you can access it from any PC to configure settings, schedule recordings etc. You can also download recordings from the tivo to your pc and it will automatically get converted, this is done using a free program designed for use with the tivo by the TivoZA.