Laptop Problems

I have an HP Pavilion DV6700US Entertainment Notebook PC running Windows Vista Home Premium SP1. As you know, this laptop comes with Quick Play (QP) buttons above the keyboard as well as a remote control (model RC1762302/00).
The laptop works fine, including the QP buttons. However, although I just inserted a brand new battery, the remote control does not work properly. To be clear, the DVD player works and I can launch Windows Media Center and all the other software with no problem from the laptop. The problem is with the remote.
The remote is sending an IR signal to the laptop. I know this because the POWER (on/off) button on the remote does suspend the laptop. However, it is the only button on the remote which has any effect. None of the OTHER buttons on remote work.
For example: The QP button does nothing. The DVD button does nothing. The Windows Media Center button does nothing. The volume and mute buttons do nothing. The arrow buttons do nothing. The OK button does nothing. But all of these fuunctions work perfectly when done on the laptop directly. I think you get the point.
I have tried to “reset” the remote by pressing what I think is the reset button above the battery. This has no effect.
All I want to do is play DVDs on my laptop using the remote control. This seems to be a known problem, but is there is a known solution?!!