I would love to connect my UnRaid box directly via HDMI to my TV and play files from storage via web/phone app. Or even plex or similar, but instead of stream/transcode to remote, just play it locally with some linuxy video player. Is there any way to do this without VMs, etc?

*Technically*, You could install either jellyfin or plex and via the GUI boot mode would be able to watch the videos via Firefox, but you wouldn't have any sound.

 

Your easiest solution is to simply cast the videos from your phone to a chromecast enabled TV (Once again via Plex or Jellyfin)

 

Or use a VM

But if I use a VM then I need to watch over vnc?

Ideally you would use hardware passthrough and assign a video card to the VM