So I want to setup a QNAP 253D+ as I do not want to pay for streaming platforms however I can't find an app to set it up.
Plex is what everyone is recommending but that requires outside authentication with plex. So if I want to stream from my NAS to the TV I have to authentication with Plex and I want to avoid that. I do not know when Plex is going to decide I can't watch Aladdin on my home system do to racism or something like that.
So far I haven't heard of plex doing anything naughty.
And even if they do you still have your files. The scenario where they would go from "acceptable" to "nuke your files" overnight seems unlikely and even in that case thepiratebay is everyone's backup server.
I like plex because its dead simple to share my server with normies.
That just seems like a highly unlikely worst case scenario. But, like you said, its fairly straightforward to defend against. Harder for windows users to set permissions but not impossible.
What? No it isn't. Setting file permissions on Windows has always been trivial.
What are the steps for giving plex read permissions but denying write permissions, while allowing other applications write permissions?
Permissions would certainly work well enough. I know on my NAS Plex only has access to it's folder. I let it delete things because I sometimes delete things within Plex.
Another secondary measure, back up your Plex files. I do a local backup of the NAS about once a month or whenever I remember. On top of that, most of my videos are ripped from media I actually have so there's that.