diff --git a/src/model/xtream.rs b/src/model/xtream.rs
index 972d87a7a..58836aefe 100644
--- a/src/model/xtream.rs
+++ b/src/model/xtream.rs
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::iter::FromIterator;
 use std::rc::Rc;
 
+use crate::utils::json_utils::{opt_string_or_number_u32, string_default_on_null, string_or_number_f64, string_or_number_u32};
 use serde::de::DeserializeOwned;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize};
 use serde_json::{Map, Value};
-use crate::utils::json_utils::{string_or_number_u32, string_or_number_f64, opt_string_or_number_u32};
 
 use crate::model::config::ConfigTargetOptions;
 use crate::model::playlist::{PlaylistItem, XtreamCluster, XtreamPlaylistItem};
@@ -266,23 +266,23 @@ impl XtreamStream {
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct XtreamSeriesInfoSeason {
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub air_date: String,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_u32")]
     pub episode_count: u32,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_u32")]
     pub id: u32,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub name: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub overview: String,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_u32")]
     pub season_number: u32,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_f64")]
     pub vote_average: f64,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub cover: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub cover_big: String,
 
 }
@@ -290,31 +290,37 @@ pub struct XtreamSeriesInfoSeason {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, Default)]
 #[allow(non_snake_case)]
 pub struct XtreamSeriesInfoInfo {
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub(crate) name: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     cover: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     plot: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     cast: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     director: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     genre: String,
-    #[serde(default, alias = "release_date", alias = "releaseDate", alias = "releasedate")]
+    #[serde(
+        default,
+        alias = "release_date",
+        alias = "releaseDate",
+        alias = "releasedate",
+        deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null"
+    )]
     release_date: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     last_modified: String,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_f64")]
     rating: f64,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_f64")]
     rating_5based: f64,
-    #[serde(default)]
-    backdrop_path: Vec<String>,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "deserialize_as_string_array")]
+    pub backdrop_path: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     youtube_trailer: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     episode_run_time: String,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_u32")]
     category_id: u32,
@@ -324,15 +330,21 @@ pub struct XtreamSeriesInfoInfo {
 pub struct XtreamSeriesInfoEpisodeInfo {
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "opt_string_or_number_u32")]
     pub tmdb_id: Option<u32>,
-    #[serde(default, alias = "release_date", alias = "releaseDate", alias = "releasedate")]
+    #[serde(
+        default,
+        alias = "release_date",
+        alias = "releaseDate",
+        alias = "releasedate",
+        deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null"
+    )]
     pub releasedate: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub plot: String,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_u32")]
     pub duration_secs: u32,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub duration: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub movie_image: String,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub video: Value,
@@ -349,23 +361,23 @@ pub struct XtreamSeriesInfoEpisodeInfo {
 // Used for serde_json deserialization, can not be used with bincode
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct XtreamSeriesInfoEpisode {
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub id: String,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_u32")]
     pub episode_num: u32,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub title: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub container_extension: String,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub info: XtreamSeriesInfoEpisodeInfo,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub custom_sid: String,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub added: String,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_or_number_u32")]
     pub season: u32,
-    #[serde(default)]
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "string_default_on_null")]
     pub direct_source: String,
 }
 
@@ -420,8 +432,9 @@ impl XtreamSeriesInfoEpisode {
     pub fn get_additional_properties(&self, series_info: &XtreamSeriesInfo) -> Option<Value> {
         let mut result = Map::new();
         let bdpath = &series_info.info.backdrop_path;
-        if !bdpath.is_empty() {
-            result.insert(String::from("backdrop_path"), Value::Array(Vec::from([Value::String(String::from(bdpath.first()?))])));
+        let bdpath_is_set = bdpath.as_ref().map_or(false, |bdpath| !bdpath.is_empty());
+        if bdpath_is_set {
+            result.insert(String::from("backdrop_path"), Value::Array(Vec::from([Value::String(String::from(bdpath.as_ref().unwrap().first()?))])));
         }
         add_str_property_if_exists!(result, series_info.info.name.as_str(), "series_name");
         add_str_property_if_exists!(result, series_info.info.release_date, "series_release_date");
diff --git a/src/processing/xtream_processor_series.rs b/src/processing/xtream_processor_series.rs
index ba315a3af..6aac8ab19 100644
--- a/src/processing/xtream_processor_series.rs
+++ b/src/processing/xtream_processor_series.rs
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ async fn playlist_resolve_series_info(cfg: &Config, errors: &mut Vec<M3uFilterEr
 
     info!("Found {series_info_count} series info to resolve");
     let start_time = Instant::now();
-    let mut processed_series_info = 0;
+    let mut processed_series_info_count = 0;
+    let mut last_processed_series_info_count = 0;
     for pli in series_info_iter {
         let (should_update, provider_id, ts) = should_update_series_info(pli, &processed_info_ids);
         if should_update {
@@ -87,13 +88,16 @@ async fn playlist_resolve_series_info(cfg: &Config, errors: &mut Vec<M3uFilterEr
                 content_updated = true;
             }
         }
-        processed_series_info += 1;
+        processed_series_info_count += 1;
         let elapsed = start_time.elapsed().as_secs();
         if elapsed > 0 && elapsed % 5 == 0 {
-            info!("resolved {processed_series_info}/{series_info_count} series info");
+            info!("resolved {processed_series_info_count}/{series_info_count} series info");
+            last_processed_series_info_count = processed_series_info_count;
         }
     }
-    info!("resolved {processed_series_info}/{series_info_count} series info");
+    if last_processed_series_info_count != processed_series_info_count {
+        info!("resolved {processed_series_info_count}/{series_info_count} series info");
+    }
     // content_wal contains the provider_id and series_info with episode listing
     // record_wal contains provider_id and timestamp
     if content_updated {
diff --git a/src/repository/epg_repository.rs b/src/repository/epg_repository.rs
index 92cfeea92..f69329d62 100644
--- a/src/repository/epg_repository.rs
+++ b/src/repository/epg_repository.rs
@@ -41,9 +41,6 @@ pub fn epg_write(target: &ConfigTarget, cfg: &Config, target_path: &Path, epg: O
     if let Some(epg_data) = epg {
         match &output.target {
             TargetType::M3u => {
-                if output.filename.is_none() {
-                    return Err(notify_err!(format!("write epg for target {} failed: No filename set", target.name)));
-                }
                 let path = m3u_get_epg_file_path(target_path);
                 debug_if_enabled!("writing m3u epg to {}", path.to_str().unwrap_or("?"));
                 epg_write_file(target, epg_data, &path)?;
diff --git a/src/repository/xtream_repository.rs b/src/repository/xtream_repository.rs
index bd78e6e9f..2f5846ece 100644
--- a/src/repository/xtream_repository.rs
+++ b/src/repository/xtream_repository.rs
@@ -849,10 +849,7 @@ pub async fn xtream_update_input_series_episodes_record_from_wal_file(
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use std::path::PathBuf;
     use std::io;
-    use crate::repository::bplustree::{BPlusTree};
-    use crate::repository::target_id_mapping::VirtualIdRecord;
 
     #[test]
     fn test() -> io::Result<()> {
diff --git a/src/utils/config_reader.rs b/src/utils/config_reader.rs
index d6117a2df..4578d65be 100644
--- a/src/utils/config_reader.rs
+++ b/src/utils/config_reader.rs
@@ -146,4 +146,15 @@ pub fn resolve_env_var(value: &str) -> String {
         let var_name = &caps["var"];
         env::var(var_name).unwrap_or_else(|_| format!("${{env:{var_name}}}"))
     }).to_string()
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use crate::utils::config_reader::resolve_env_var;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_resolve() {
+       let resolved =  resolve_env_var("${env:HOME}");
+        assert_eq!(resolved, std::env::var("HOME").unwrap());
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utils/json_utils.rs b/src/utils/json_utils.rs
index 2810b6bf6..53fc472f9 100644
--- a/src/utils/json_utils.rs
+++ b/src/utils/json_utils.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use std::io::{self, BufReader, BufWriter, Error, Read, Write};
 use std::path::Path;
 
 use serde::de::DeserializeOwned;
-use serde::Serialize;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use serde_json::{self, Deserializer, Value};
 
 fn read_skipping_ws(mut reader: impl Read) -> io::Result<u8> {
@@ -200,3 +200,11 @@ pub fn get_string_from_serde_value(value: &Value) -> Option<String> {
         _ => None,
     }
 }
+
+pub fn string_default_on_null<'de, D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<String, D::Error>
+where
+    D: serde::Deserializer<'de>,
+{
+    let value: Option<String> = Option::deserialize(deserializer)?;
+    Ok(value.unwrap_or_else(String::new))
+}
\ No newline at end of file